Man dies after touching third rail at River North CTA train tracks, police say

A 31-year-old man died after touching the third rail of a Chicago Transit Authority train track in River North late Friday night, police said.

The man had fallen onto Brown Line tracks before touching the dangerous, electrified third rail at 10:22 p.m. at 350 N. Wells St., the address of the Merchandise Mart CTA station, authorities said.

The Cook County medical examiner’s office identified the man as Rueben Daniel Castro of West Lawn Saturday morning.

Authorities transported the man to Northwestern Hospital in critical condition. He was pronounced dead at the hospital, police said.

Power had been shut while Chicago Fire Department first responders assisted the man at the train tracks, but was later restored to the station. Train operations had returned to normal, the police said after midnight.

Police said they are investigating the man’s death and classified their inquiry as a “death investigation.”